


Hide and seek

by errantknightess



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Dogs, Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:40:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24980200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/errantknightess/pseuds/errantknightess
Summary: Noctis meets Umbra for the first time.
Relationships: Lunafreya Nox Fleuret & Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	Hide and seek

**Author's Note:**

> A quick fill for a tumblr meme. The prompt was: "Go on, don't be shy."

Now that Noctis has grown used to it, Fenestala Manor isn’t much different from home. A little smaller, maybe, and a lot brighter, but the more time he spends with Luna showing him around its nooks and crannies, the more familiar it feels. The floors are smooth polished marble, begging to glide on them just like he always does in the Citadel. The walls are hung with similar old weapons, dusty coats of arms, and portraits of people he’s only heard about. There are endless winding staircases, and miles of corridors, and hundreds of empty rooms.

It’s perfect for hide and seek – and here, he finally has someone to play with.

Noctis peeks around the corner before dashing down the hall as quietly as he can. Luna can count to a hundred much quicker than he can, so he knows he doesn’t have much time left. But it’s not so easy to hide from her in her own house! She always knows just where to look, and Noctis has already lost twice today. That won’t do. This time, he has to think of someplace _really_ good.

He pulls the handle on the first door he finds and slips inside. It looks like a study, but it’s hard to tell at a glance if anyone’s been using it recently. Noctis makes sure the door closes gently behind him and starts sneaking around, the carpeted floor muffling his footsteps. He looks up and down, corner to corner, scanning the spacious room for the _best_ spot.

The curtains are too thin – Luna will see right through if he stands behind them. The sofa is too much in view, there’s not enough space behind the commode, and Noctis knows it’s impolite to open somebody else’s wardrobe, even if it’s only to hide in it.

And then he spots it, way under the far wall: a small table covered with a heavy cloth that hangs down to the floor. _Just right_. Noctis quickly ducks underneath it and curls up on the carpet, a satisfied grin on his face.

It’s only when something soft tickles his legs that he realizes he’s not alone.

There’s a dog right next to him, lying flat on its belly in the shadow. When Noctis turns to face it, it lazily lifts its head and looks straight at him without as much as a blink.

Noctis freezes, his hair standing on end. He’s never been this close to a dog before. This one is big and black, with grey patches around the muzzle and burning amber eyes. It looks a little scary. But it’s not doing anything – just looking at him expectantly.

“Sorry,” Noctis whispers, and tries to make himself smaller on his spot. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I won’t be here long, promise.”

The dog sniffs at him and barks once, loud and sharp in the quiet of the room.

“Shhh!” Noctis hisses frantically, sending the dog a pleading glance with a finger to his lips. In the distance, he can hear Luna’s laugh and her light footsteps tapping on the marble tiles.

The dog must hear them, too. Its pointy ears prick up and twitch as it curiously twists its head to the side. Noctis barely has time to shuffle back before it scrambles to its feet. Now he can really see just how big it is – and it’s coming _closer_.

“Hey, stop it,” he breathes as the cold, wet nose starts pushing at his face. It tickles, but the thought of all those sharp teeth just inches away makes laughter wilt in Noctis’s throat. He keeps crawling backwards, little by little, until his back hits the tablecloth.

With a yelp, Noctis rolls out of his hiding place, sprawling on the floor with the furry menace hot on his heels.

“Aha! I thought I heard something here.” Luna smiles down at him, offering a hand to help him up. Then, she turns her attention to the dog. “Hello, Umbra. It would seem that this round, the victory is yours.”

The dog barks again and wags its tail. That makes it seem much less fierce – but Noctis still startles when it leaps between them.

It’s even more startling to see Luna give it a tight hug and stroke its snout, her delicate hands coming so close to those dangerous jaws.

“No need to be scared,” Luna assures him, as if she could somehow sense his worry. “Umbra is a dear friend. He would never hurt you.”

Umbra lolls his tongue out, pushing his head up into Luna’s touch. Now he really looks harmless – like a very, _very_ fluffy plush toy.

“Would you like to pet him too?”

Noctis’s eyes go wide at the question. “Would that be okay?” Umbra seems to like it, but maybe he only likes it when Luna pets him?

“He will be delighted!” Luna scoots back and gently nudges Umbra his way. “Go on, don’t be shy.”

Noctis reaches out slowly, not sure where to start. Umbra decides to help him out. He meets Noctis’s hand, nosing at his open palm, and lightly presses his fuzzy head against it.

“He likes you.” Luna’s voice is bright with laughter. “Oh, I’m glad to see you getting along so well!”

Noctis thinks he likes Umbra, too. And he’s not scared of him anymore. He sinks to his knees and scoots closer, eagerly running his hands down the dog’s neck. The fur there is soft and silky, and so thick that his fingers are buried knuckles deep in it. Umbra nuzzles into his shoulder, sweeping at Noctis’s ear with a wide, warm tongue.

“You’re nice,” Noctis giggles. “Would you like to play hide and seek with us?”

The excited bark he gets in response shakes through him and almost knocks him over.

“He is very good at it, apparently,” Luna says, scratching one soft ear with a knowing smile. “I am not sure we stand a chance.”

“Then we should team up against him!” Noctis decides. He pulls back and lightly taps Umbra on the nose. “What do you say, Umbra? Think you can find _both_ of us?”

Umbra’s eyes, intense and intelligent, sparkle with challenge.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, and many thanks to the person who sent the prompt! If you want to leave some, too, I'm still taking requests over at [tumblr](https://errantknightess.tumblr.com/post/621555752727871488/writing-prompts) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/Err_417/status/1156201844294803457) :D


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